Tower Hamlets Cycling Manifesto 2018 Launched

Submitted by alex on 23 March 2018

Tower Hamlets Wheelers, the borough group of the London Cycling Campaign, has today launched the Tower Hamlets Cycling Manifesto. The Manifesto sets out our positive vision for cycling – and, more broadly, a better quality of life – in the borough over the course of the 2018-22 administration. It contains 12 principles and three deliverables to which we are asking all mayoral candidates to agree.

Tower Hamlets Wheelers is also announcing two campaigning events in the run-up to election. On the evening of Thursday 5 April, we will be hosting the Tower Hamlets Cycling and Walking Mayoral Hustings at Limehouse Town Hall. We warmly invite all to attend. And on Saturday 14 April, we will be at the Farmers’ Market at Stepney City Farm, talking to people about what they think would help cycling in the borough.

Tower Hamlets Wheelers committee member Julie Plichon said:

"We are publishing the Tower Hamlets Cycling Manifesto to set out a positive vision of what we would like to see the 2018-22 borough administration achieve.

"We are asking all mayoral candidates to agree to the 12 principles contained in the Manifesto and, crucially, to commit to delivering our three specific asks by 2022.

"Our first ask is that the five routes in Tower Hamlets identified by Transport for London in its Strategic Cycling Analysis as having particularly high cycling potential are planned and completed by 2022.
"Our second ask is for low-traffic neighbourhoods: we would like the 2018-22 administration to apply for Transport for London Liveable Neighbourhoods funding. This should be used to bring forward ambitious area-wide traffic management schemes which would keep through traffic on main roads and make residential streets safe and pleasant places to live, play, walk and cycle.

"Finally, we are asking the incoming administration to significantly increase secure residents’ bicycle parking, by installing 75 on-street Bike Hangars a year and working with social landlords to increase secure bicycle parking on estates".

Tower Hamlets Wheelers committee member Alex Jenkins said:

"What we are asking for isn’t really for the benefit of the one-in-ten of Tower Hamlets residents who are already regular cyclists. Instead, we are trying to create the conditions whereby the other 90% of the borough’s population have cycling made available to them as a comfortable, convenient and safe transport option."We should be ambitious about the cycling rate which can be achieved: around 41% of trips across Greater London could be cycled, and Transport for London analysis showing that Tower Hamlets may have the highest potential for cycling of any London borough – which means our potential is even higher. However, current cycling rates barely scratch the surface of this.

"To unlock this suppressed demand, new cycling infrastructure in Tower Hamlets should be so attractive, safe and inclusive that it entices those who do not yet cycle, rather than simply making the roads safer for existing cyclists."

Tower Hamlets Wheelers committee member Owen Pearson said:

"Radically increasing the number of journeys made by bicycle should be a major part of the solution for many of the challenges our borough faces. Cycling can help deal with all sorts of challenges such as inactivity, obesity, pollution, inequality, poor access to transport, a rapidly-increasing population, and congestion.

"Tower Hamlets is the fifth-worst local authority area for particulate pollution the UK, with over 8% of deaths in the borough attributable to long-term exposure. Shifting journeys from polluting modes to cycling and walking could be a major part of improving our air quality.

"The population of Tower Hamlets is growing rapidly, with an 86% increase projected between 2000 and 2026. Cycling is one of the most space-efficient uses of the road, and therefore an ideal way of getting around an increasingly densely-populated borough."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Tower Hamlets Wheelers is the borough group of the London Cycling Campaign with 430 paid-­up members and a further 864 registered supporters living in Tower Hamlets. We have been active in the borough for over 30 years.

Our main objectives are to encourage more people to cycle, improve conditions for cyclists and to raise the profile of cycling in our borough. We liaise with and bring issues to the attention of the local council and other authorities. We run cycling community projects and organise social rides and events to bring cyclists in the area together.

We are hosting the Tower Hamlets Cycling and Walking Mayoral Hustings on Thursday 5 April at Limehouse Town Hall, 646 Commercial Road, E14 7HA starting at 6:45 p.m.

We will be at the Farmers’ Market at Stepney City Farm to talk to visitors about our asks between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday 14 April. Details of both events can be found at wheelers.org.uk/diary